Temples symbolize church of human heart

Published 8:48 pm, Friday, August 29, 2014

No one would deny faith is a strong force inside human beings. The instinct toward religious behavior has been present in the history of humankind since early times.

Some think faith in the current stage of civilization has no more use -- that it doesn't make sense for modern people. Others value it as a precious treasure of our inner being, essential to mold human nature in a better way.

I was wondering about this as I was reading news from my country of origin, Brazil -- where this month a massive, beautiful faith monument has been inaugurated, the Temple of Solomon.

It was built as a replica of King Solomon's temple, as described in the Old Testament, but it is three times bigger. It is 578 feet long, 312 feet wide and 115 feet tall -- large enough to accommodate 10,000 people in its sanctuary.

This megachurch, with its attached museum, is now a landmark of Sao Paulo, the large industrial and financial center of Brazil. The New York Times dedicated a whole article to its awesome construction.

It serves as the world headquarters for the Universal Church of God, the neo-pentecostal denomination that owns the property. Even some critics who do not have a positive view of the denomination's methods and practices reported they were impressed with the temple's magnificent architectural design and urban landscaping.

How does our faith compel us to build these monuments? Why have so many great cathedrals and temples have been built over the centuries of religious history? And why do modern people still support religious buildings with their offerings and donations?

Houses of worship are some of the most under-utilized buildings in most cities, if we do the cost-benefit analysis. Most sanctuaries are only used a few hours a week. Expenses for utilities and maintenance are obviously higher in the largest structures, but they continue being built.

In everyday conversation, the word "church" is commonly understood as that distinctive building on the corner with the tall steeple.

However, many Christian texts teach that God's real temple is not something made by human hands, but is instead the human heart. The church is said to be human beings and God dwelling in them.

Does our human instinct toward faith call us to build these huge structures as symbols of our collectivist and communal existence? Can we understand more about what a culture values and believes by examining its buildings and monuments?

I expect the enormous size of this new temple is an expression of changing cultural and religious foundations in modern Brazil -- now the fifth largest economy in the world. The new Temple of Solomon in Sao Paulo points to the great evangelical awakening that Brazil is experiencing: Today 30 percent to 40 percent of Brazilians consider themselves Protestants, in a country that 50 years ago was predominately Roman Catholic. That statistic underscores the deep change in Brazil's religious landscape.

However, we might ask, why a temple of Solomon? Why a replica of the Old Testament temple, two times destroyed, so that nowadays only a wall remains in Jerusalem?

I think it might be because, for the new evangelicals of Brazil, the Bible is a central part of their faith. Most of the pastors in this tradition place a great emphasis on the Old Testament and support modern Israel as a fulfillment of messianic prophecy.

The Jewish community in Sao Paulo received the new temple very positively, saying it was an amazing idea. Apparently, no one before this had tried to rebuild a temple replica this size outside Jerusalem. It was an awesome, notable project, instantly catching worldwide attention for all the symbolism in it.

Still, my hope is that people do not see this new temple, or any building, as the center of their faith. I believe it would be better for the improvement of humanity if faith, our heart's precious innate feeling, built peace among nations and love between neighbors.

Majestic and huge houses of prayer are symbolic of the community of faith, but I believe they are worthless if there is no fellowship or true communal life among people.

The Rev. Ophir de Barros of the Brazilian Baptist Pastors Fellowship, North American Chapter, retired as pastor of All Nations Baptist Church in Danbury. He can be reached at 203-417-1401 or ophirdb@gmail.com.